Trouble logging in?If you can't remember your password or are having trouble logging in, you will have to reset your password. If you have trouble resetting your password (for example, if you lost access to the original email address), please do not start posting with a new account, as this is against the forum rules. If you create a temporary account, please contact us right away via Forum Support, and send us any information you can about your original account, such as the account name and any email address that may have been associated with it.

Eh, did this to get someone off my back mostly <_<. There's about 20% left which I'll get to in a day or two probably. This is about 10 pages of the actual novel. Translating 300x16 pages would be kinda crazy .

Spoiler for 80% of the prologue chapter:

“C’mon! Shit! Shit! Aaah, dammit, this is way too unlucky!!”

Kamijou Touma didn’t slow down a single pace of his escape, even knowing he sounded like a deviant.

He glanced backwards quickly as he ran through the late-night alleyways.

Eight people.

Even though he had already ran nearly two kilometers, there were still eight of them. Of course, Kamijou had no chance of beating them in a fight, not being Cook-san of the former Foreign Legion, or some long lost cyber-ninja. Don’t even talk about anything more than a three-on-one fight against other high schoolers. With so many of them, it was simply impossible.

Kicking away a dirty bucket out of his way and scaring off a black cat, Kamijou continued running,

July 19th.

That’s right, July 19th was a bad day. The summer vacation starting tomorrow! Which was why Kamijou had been in such uncharacteristically high mood, buying manga he could tell would be a disaster just from the cover, and going to gorge himself at a family restaurant even though he wasn’t hungry. But as he entered the restaurant, for who knows what reason, some aberrant thought processes of being a hero had suddenly taken control of him.

Who would’ve known that so many of their buddies would’ve come out of the restroom.

Yeah, he’d always thought that only women would go to the restroom in groups like that too.

“I didn’t even get to taste my bitter melon and escargot lasagna from hell before having to make a break for it… and being treated like an eat-and-runner. Argh, seriously, what’s with this misfortune!?”

Oof! Wringing his own neck all the while, Kamijou finally broke out of the alleyways into the main road.

Even moonlit Academy City, in spite of being only a third the size of Tokyo, was packed, filled to the brim with couples. It was definitely because it was July 19th. Kamijou, being single, blamed it all on July 19th. The tri-propellered wind power generators here and there were bathed in the pale white moonlight and the city’s night view, glittering like the tears of wealthy, single people.

Kamijou ran swiftly through the night streets, as if he were breaking apart those couples.

As he ran, he took quick glances at his right hand. In situations like this, the power that was there was no help at all. It wouldn’t bring down one of those delinquents, raise his test grades, or make a girl swoon over him.

“Ugh, I’m so unlucky!”

If he ever got completely get out of sight of that gang, they might use their cell phones to call for back up and some motorcycles. Their prey, Kamijou, had no choice but to force them to tire themselves running after him until they toppled from a lack of stamina. It was like letting an opponent hit you on purpose while boxing to tire him out.

All Kamijou wanted to do was lend a helping hand back there.

It would be his victory as long as he could shake them off and make them give up the chase without it all coming to blows.

Kamijou was pretty confident at running long distances after all. And his opponents had all ruined their health with alcohol and tobacco, and were wearing completely impractical boots. They weren’t even pacing themselves, but dashing, not the best idea for a long distance run.

As he crisscrossed back between the alleyway and the main roads, letting his opponents think he was getting out of breath, he watched as one after another of the gang dropped behind, hands on knees. Even while he praised himself on finding a perfect solution that didn’t involve anyone getting hurt…

“Da… dammit… why do only things like this happen in the prime of my life!”

It was vexing. No matter where he looked, the streets were full of couples overflowing with happiness and dreams; Kamijou Toumo felt like he was permanently on the losing side. Even as the days went by and summer vacation finally began, with no love and no comedy in sight in his life, he felt too much like a loser.

And, one of the delinquents behind him shouted out angrily.

“Hey you!! Dammit you bastard, stop running you coward!!”

What was with that ferocious love call… so of course Kamijou had to give a reply..

“Shut it! You should be happy you haven’t been beaten into paste, you IQ 80 simians!”

Knowing they were drained of stamina, Kamijou snapped that right back at them.

(……Really, we should all be happy that nobody’s been injured.)

At last, sweaty and teary after that two kilometer run, Kamijou reached the outskirts of Academy City, right by a large river. And a large bridge over the large river. The bridge was about 150 meters long. Not a single car was on it. The unlit and crude looking steel bridge was painted in unpleasant darkness like a night sea.

Crossing the bridge, Kamijou once again glanced behind him.

And stopped. Some time ago, every single one of the people chasing him had disappeared.

“Fi… finally got rid of them, huh.”

Fighting an urge to simply collapse on the floor, Kamijou looked up at the night sky, and took a deep breath.

Actually solving the problem without anyone getting hurt. He really wanted to pat himself on the back for a job well done.

“Geez, what are you doing. Did you want to feel like a good Samaritan, or are you some over-enthusiastic schoolteacher or something?”

Kamijou started.

Because there was not even a single light on the bridge, he had not noticed. Just five meters away in the direction he had come running from, a girl was standing. With an ashen gray pleated skirt, and a blouse and summer sweater, she looked like any other middle school girl.

Which was what Kamijou mostly thought as he nearly toppled over backwards, still looking at the sky.

But actually, she was the girl in trouble back in the family restaurant.

“So I guess that again? That gang back there isn’t chasing anymore after all.”

“Yeah. They were annoying, so I scorched them.”

Bzzt. A pale blue spark buzzed out loudly.

It wasn’t that the girl was holding a stun gun. Her brown hair, waving softly around her shoulders, was releasing sparks as if each strand was an electrode.

A gust of wind blew a plastic bag close by her face that moment, and like an automated defense system, a pale white spark lanced out, blowing it apart.

A small sigh of surprise was the only sound Kamijou could utter.

Today was July 19th. Which is why he he had been buying manga he could tell would be a disaster just from the cover, and going to gorge himself at a family restaurant even though he wasn’t hungry, and when he saw a middle school girl getting into an argument with some obviously drunk delinquents, without thinking decided to come to the rescue.

But, Kamijou couldn’t remember saying anything about “saving a girl.”

His only thought was to save the delinquents who had unknowingly gotten involved with this girl.

Kamijou sighed. She was always like this. After nearly a month of passing each other by, he still didn’t know her name. In other words, he was not really looking to be friends.

Today as well, that girl had been planning on blasting something into pulp, while Kamijou had been trying to prevent that. There were never any exceptions. It was 100% certain.

After losing fair and square, the girl’s mood might clear up a bit, but Kamijou was no good at acting. One time before, he’d told her that as well, and had spent an entire night being chased all over by what looked like a demon.

“……Actually, what did I ever do to you?”

“I cannot stand there being anyone stronger than myself. That should be more than enough reason.”

Characters in fighting games nowadays get more detailed motives. (rofl)

“You’re taking me for an idiot as well, aren’t you. I’m a Level 5, you know? Did you think I would go all out against powerless Level 0s? I’ve got just the recipe for dealing with those weaklings.

Within this city, the common opinion that “delinquents hanging out in alleys = the most violent” does not fit. Those who dropped out before the psychic ability development part of the curriculum were just powerless Level 0s.

The ones who were truly the strongest in the city were people like her, psychics in the honor classes.

“Um, you know what I’m getting at? I know very well that you’re a 1 out of 328,571 genius, but you really should stop with that condescending way you speak if you want to live long. Seriously.”

“Shut up. There’s nothing you can call people like that, who get drugs pumped directly into their bloodstream, and shocks buzzing from one ear to their brain and on to the other ear, and still not be able to bend a spoon, but incompetent.”

“……”

Certainly, Academy City was a place like that.

Inserted into the curriculum innocuously to “develop the mind”, these practices were hidden under such euphemisms as “recording techniques” or “memorization techniques”. This was the other face of Academy City.

After all, it is not as if the 230,000 “students” living in Academy City are all like protagonists from a comic book, and transcend being human. Looking at it as a whole, a bit less than 60% of Academy City is made up of people who range from those who can only manage to finally bend a spoon with great effort after the blood vessels in their brain are torn up, or Level 0s who simply cannot use psionics at all.

“If you need to bend a spoon, you could always use pliers. Want a fire, a 100 yen lighter does the trick just as well. And even without telepathy, there are always cell phones. Are psionics really that special?”

Which were Kamijou’s words, whom the sensors labeled “incapable” during Academy City’s inspections.

“After all, this is all ridiculous. Don’t get so proud at the psionics, it’s a side effect. Don’t you know, that’s not our goal, right?”

Faced with that, the girl, one of the seven level 5s in Academy City, merely sneered.

“What? ……Oh that, huh. What was it again, ‘Humans cannot understand God’s plans. And thus, we must become more than human to reach for God’s answer’…wasn’t it?”

The girl scoffed.

“Sigh, that always makes me laugh. Just what is “God’s wisdom”. Did you know? They’ve been developing my “Sisters” by analyzing my DNA as a foundation for military use. Doesn’t that look like they’re looking more for the side-products than this goal we have?”

And, after having said so much, the girl suddenly fell silent.

In the silence, it felt like the very air around them was changing.

“……And actually. That was like the words of the powerful or something.”

“Huh?”

“The powerful. The strong, the top. Those born into their abilities, never knowing the hardship up struggling up to that point… like something tough and cruel a comic book protagonist would say. What you said back there.”

The river below the steel bridge slushed with an ominous sound.

Those seven Level 5s in Academy City… how much of their humanity had they cast aside as they struggled to that point… that was what was hinted at from the dark flames burning at the end of those words.

Kamijou had refuted all of that.

Just one sentence, just one thing that could not be taken back.

Just one time where he did not lose.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Just look at the annual inspections, will you? My level is zero, while you’re the highest at Level 5, you know? Just ask anyone walking around here, anyone could tell you at a glance who’s stronger here!”

Academy City’s ability development was based pharmaceutics, neuroscience, and brain surgery, a thoroughly scientific approach. By following the curriculum regularly, even without much natural talent, most people would be able to at least bend a spoon.

But even so, Kamijou Touma could not do anything.

As far as the testing equipment at Academy City were concerned, he was utterly without any ability whatsoever.

“Zero, huh.”

The girl repeated that one single word, as if she were rolling it around in her mouth.

She thrust her hand into her skirt pocket, clutching a metal coin as she pulled her hand out again.

“Hey, do you know what a ‘railgun’ is?”

“Huh?”

“It’s the same theory as a linear motor car. By using a powerful electromagnet, seems like they’re battleship weapons used to fire a metal projectile.”

Pling. The girl flipped the metal coin into the air with her thumb.

The coin flipped through the air, as it reached her thumb again.

“Something like this.”

And at the same time as those words.

Without a sound, an orange spear of light suddenly pierced through the air right by Kamijou’s head. A spear, or more like a laser beam. The only way he could tell where it had come from was simply because the end of the afterimage of the light could still be seen extending from the girl’s thumb.

Like a thunderbolt, an instant later, an echoing roar boomed out. A turbulent blast of air close by assaulted his ears, disrupting Kamijou’s sense of balance. As he staggered about on his feet, he took a fleeting glimpse behind him.

At the point where the orange light hit the surface of the bridge, asphalt had been sent flying, just as if an airplane had made an emergency landing at sea. Thirty meters past the point where the destruction stopped, a burning orange afterimage could still be seen in the air even though everything had already stopped.

“Even just a coin like this, by flinging it out at Mach 3, can be pretty powerful, you know. Of course, after about 50 meters it breaks apart due to friction with the air.”

The steel and concrete bridge began swaying about as if it were a flimsy rope bridge. Grrgkt! Bzzt! The sound of metal bolts snapping echoed about.

“……………………!!”

Kamijou felt as cold as if all the blood vessels in his body had been packed with dry ice.

He wondered if all the water in his body had become sweat and evaporated through some mysterious process.

“Y-You. Don’t tell me you did that to drive that gang away…!!”

“Don’t be stupid. I’ll at least choose who I use it against carefully. Not like I want to be a murderer for no reason.”

As she said that, sparks buzzed from the girl’s brown hair as if it were an electrode.

“Against Level 0s like that… this would be more than enough to chase them off!”

As more white sparks scattered out like a horn about her bangs, a bolt of lightning speared out into the night.

There was no hope of escaping that. After all, it was a spear of lightning blasting from the hair of a Level 5. It was the same thing as trying to dodge a bolt of lightning you see coming at you from a black raincloud.

BOOOM!! A sound like an explosion followed a moment later.

The manga changed a number of things, but would be much much MUCH easier to translate.

For now, I might as well post a few thoughts I have, before I forget while waiting a possibly long while for volumes 3-12 to arrive...
(By the way, I could have bought 13-16+SS, but I bought four other books instead.)
(Reason for stopping at vol.12?... Guess.)
---

Most of the thoughts are targeted at vol.2, by the way.

-For one thing, there are times where the book goes into wayyy to much explanation. I see the point to, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel my interest in reading this volume draining everytime there are pages on this or that or some other stuff.

-"Anything is possible"
It seems the author really is writing with this mindset. While I understand this is a fantasy and unrealistic, there are times where it just seems... like she's pulling all kinds of "impressive scenes" and then uses her power as the author to go "Oh, don't worry. This is the reason" which brings about yet more pages of description.
One thing that really tested believability was

Spoiler:

All of the reviving, especially the whole building and dead people, and Stiyl's "I wasn't really dead" thing...

-There are a number of moments where it seems the author just wanted to use a word. I understand using a foreign language for spells and stuff, but all of a sudden and no reason, she goes "hermit" or something... It isn't terminology or anything...

-Komoe, Mikoto, Kaori... None of them make a single appearance...

-Touma's straightforwardness was impressive to me in the first volume. By this volume and mostly the latter half, he started irritating me.
In the end, I think he snaps way too much. Maybe carry some ice around to chill his head on...

-I kind of understand why the manga skipped this volume now. I wonder just how well the anime plans to do this arc, considering all of the explanations and such...
What's more, this volume's heroine, Aisa... From what I heard, she's air and doesn't really do much from now on...

Spoiler for one more thing:

-Is Index's smile really that good? It seems these volumes, people are going how they want to protect her smile or whatever her smile.
I hope later volumes break this pattern. It isn't very fun when every antagonist turns out to actually be "good" people fighting for a good reason.

Mah... I just hope future volumes improve, since I don't have the hobby of wasting money.
By the way, Vol.2 wasn't absolutely horrible. The first half was rather decent with the somewhat shocking events... The first half, anyways.

__________________

-Blog --> http://tdnshumi.blogspot.com/ (Mainly about video games)
-R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gaming wouldn't have been the same without you (9/19/13)

I doubt they will all appear in the anime, but this series has a large list of characters... I actually worry about this fact.
Also, I wonder just how the author plans to "end" this series. And at what volume...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sterling01

Also anyone know where the SS novel fits in regards to the timeline of the novels

From what I heard, SS=short stories taking place after volume 13 (before vol.14).

__________________

-Blog --> http://tdnshumi.blogspot.com/ (Mainly about video games)
-R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gaming wouldn't have been the same without you (9/19/13)

......Hah... This isn't bad, but I can't help feelings dissatisfied at some points, you know~~... It's still interesting and all though... I think the author needs a bit more work on the storytelling...

The following are opinions after reading 3-4:

*Last note: As much as I sound I didn't like it, it was a good read. Good, anyways. Nothing higher.
---

First, I really question why Accelerator and Motoharu are so popular.
Personality-wise, they aren't great at all. Accelerator is half(?) psychotic, and Motoharu is just simply has traits of characters I tend to dislike

Spoiler for the part:

where he's a traitor and everything

The only thing I can think of is that they have entertaining ways of talking. Then again, Imouto isn't any different from that part.
Of course, there are still more than 10 volumes with them to star in, so maybe I'm just missing something, but first impressions tend to be important to me, so having a bad first impression=hostility towards character forever, is how it usually goes...

Second, is the more clear problem of forgotten characters. In a whole, it isn't a problem, yes, but as a reader going through the volumes slowly, it is.
I mean, WHAT happened to Accelerator at the end of volume 3?
Misha in volume 4?
Hello~ I'd like to know here. Surely you can at least tell as a sentence as to what happened, you know.

Third, is the fact that Touma's actions get duller by the volume. Volume 3 was still fine, as he actually seems somewhat cool, but his importance is almost questionable in volume 4, and I must wonder if he has to always be so one-pattern on everything. I swear, he must say "FUZAKERUNA!" at least once every volume.
--

Onto more volume-separated thoughts:

Starting with volume 4, for no reason...

When Motoharu described magicians and what they were

Spoiler for the whole thing on:

hanging to magic as a last resort for their wishes, choosing names out of what they want to do, the other stuff he said

the first thing I thought was
"Oh great, so the magicians in this novel are a bunch of egotistical emo-characters, huh... Can't look forward to more magic-side stories"
Of course, let me point it, this is just a first thought.
Still...

I'm not sure why, but despite focusing a lot on Kaori, my impression of her went down rather than up. That, and I realized that she has a hot body (*points to pictures in vol.4 tab*)

Spoiler for a couple thoughts:

Here's the thing I was thinking about...

Basically, from birth, she was all important and everything, and everyone treasured her greatly, right?
So they did their best to keep her alive, even to the point of sacrificing themselves, right?
And then, Kaori, thinking that her good luck is their bad luck and such, decides to throw away everything and joins Neccesarius.

And...? What did those poor souls give up their lives for? They sacrificed themselves for their great priestess, and she turns around and throws all of that out of the window, because she gets this thing that reminds me of a messiah complex.

Is how I thought of things, and I honestly couldn't find myself sympathizing with her.

And seriously, what happened to the "heroine"? Aisa was absolute air and Index wasn't much better. Heck, the "main characters" have completely swapped, disappointing people who continued reading for those characters.
And at the same time, they continue creating new characters.

What's more, the overall story felt kind of messy, where they jump from place to place. Though I must credit the story for being unpredictable. Even if

Spoiler:

it relied on a lot of "iffy" moments.

I mean, even if Motoharu explains that he attacked Touma and his dad, there are still points where you wonder if it was necessary. And thinking about that, I question whether this was the character being clumsy, or the author trying to hard to make surprises.

Especially when they keep popping up the narration: "But they didn't say *insert something* so it's okay/makes sense". Which sounds like, similar to vol.2, as doing something without planning, and using the right of the author to patch up holes.

And that word "coincidence". It was a coincidence that the whole Angle Fall was set up. Everything was coincidence. If something like world destruction could happen by such coincidence, it's almost suspicious why the world hasn't been destroyed yet.

And seriously, what happened to Misha/God's power?
Her hand during the gum-giving scene... Lelouch's influence has caused me to enjoy these hand motions......

I found there to be much less problem than vol.4, despite Index being... pointless.

Imouto really has a entertaining way of talking. (Accelerator too)

And Kuroko gets her first appearance, that pervert.

Putting it short (ah-ah~, tired), I'll just list the only part I felt dissatisfaction:

Spoiler for yah:

-And... What happens to Accelerator at the end?

-There was a lot of "power of feelings" this volume. No matter HOW much Touma got hit and should have stopped moving, thanks to his emotions, he manages to do the impossible. Wow.
In fact, without this "power of feelings" that occurs both during Mikoto's scene (still believable to a point) and Accelerator's, we would have got a bad end.
Again, those very convenient developments...

__________________

-Blog --> http://tdnshumi.blogspot.com/ (Mainly about video games)
-R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gaming wouldn't have been the same without you (9/19/13)

Anyone feels that Touma recovers from his injuries a little too fast? I got that feeling when i was reading volume 4-5.

volume 4 begins at 28th august, the party spend 2 day for the angel fall, then wake up in the 3rd day in the hospital, so it should end at 30 august. However, volume 5 story begins in at 31st august...

And seriously, what happened to the "heroine"? Aisa was absolute air and Index wasn't much better. Heck, the "main characters" have completely swapped, disappointing people who continued reading for those characters.
And at the same time, they continue creating new characters.

So, the story is focused in many different characters, rather than on those which are supposed to be the main ones?

I liked the first 2 episodes of the anime, but for what I saw on the pics above, this story seems to turn out to be a harem-novel with action.

__________________

"The name is Tin; Used is just an alias. I'm everything Shoe Box would like to be." - Used Can of the Aluminium Kingdom

So, the story is focused in many different characters, rather than on those which are supposed to be the main ones?

I liked the first 2 episodes of the anime, but for what I saw on the pics above, this story seems to turn out to be a harem-novel with action.

Yes, that's a good way to say it. It's like... there's no specific main character (this is particularly noticeable with the female characters).
That is why the ED is made fun of (no ill intention, of course), for making Index seem like the real heroine, despite having practically no role in the next few volumes.

__________________

-Blog --> http://tdnshumi.blogspot.com/ (Mainly about video games)
-R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gaming wouldn't have been the same without you (9/19/13)

Hmm... I think I'll find this difficult to follow then. Usually, the main characters are the ones that hook me up to the story. Personally, even if the plot is really good, without defined (and good) main characters, at some point I'll get bored and maybe even annoyed.

__________________

"The name is Tin; Used is just an alias. I'm everything Shoe Box would like to be." - Used Can of the Aluminium Kingdom